Planoqraph co



w. P. THoMsoN.

INSUL'ATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION rlLsn1uNx3.191a.

1,314,768. Patented sept. 2,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fn Ven or Wy u ` as the nature of the invention is better un` N @TED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 PATON THOMSON, OE NEW YORK,l N. Y., A'ssIeNon To THE RAIL JOINT f COMPANY, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.A

INSULATED RAIL-JOINT.

r`To all whom #may concern:

Be it` known that I, WILLIAM PATON THOMSON, citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInsulated Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

VThis invention relates to rail joints, and more particularly to an improvement inl the insulation for joints of the insulated t e. j yl'io this end, the invention contemplates a novel insulating `unit adaptedfor use between the under side of the rail head and the upper side of the joint bar, and of suoli* construction as to provide a greater range of interchangeability and adjustment than possible with the insulation now generally in use. A

In insulated rail joints, the insulation between the head of the bar and the under side of the rail head, is the rst to wear out or become ruptured this being primarily ,due to the fact that the weight of the superposed load tends to cause the head insulation to be crushed or shredded because of the 4relative movement between the joint bar and the rail, and this effect on the insulation is lconcentrated and more pronounced'beneath the head of the receiving rail.` Also, under service conditions in track, the so-called head insulation is Subj ected to a lsevere chafing Vaction by reason of being confined between two hard metal surfaces having at times a relative` movement in opposite directions; aside from thel condition that the portion of the insulation disposed 'beneath the head of the rail which receives theload is subjected to a greater strain than that disposed beneath the head of the leaving rail. Y j j Accordingly, the present invention has primarily in view a head insulating unit of multiple or divided formation and properly designed constituent parts which will permit of a relative slipping' or yielding between the parts under actual service conditions, and also permit of being readily shifted aboutor'interchanged with respect to other parts 4of the unit -to materlally prot` long the life of the entire insulation.

With the foregoing, and other objects in view which will be more readily apparent Specification of Lettersilatent. Patented Sept,`2, 1919 Appiicanon inea Jane 13, 191e. Aserial No. 239,782. 4

derstood, reference may be made to the. ac-

" companying drawings `which illustrate practical and preferred embodiments of the invention, `and in which i Figure 1 is an end elevation of an insulated rail joint showingthe improved insulating unit installed between the under side, Of the rail head and the upper side of the joint bars. j

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the joint with one of the joint bars removed.Y l A Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the improved head insulating `unit showing a full length insulating piece adapted to` contact with the head of the joint bar while separate shorter lengths are adapted to lie between the same and the under side of the rail head, this type of unit being a reversal of that shown by Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings. j

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing other modifications 'of the invention, to

exemplify the range of interchangeability of the fiber and metal parts. j

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding part's throughout .the `several figures of the drawings.

One, of the distinctive features of the present invention is the formation of the several parts of the insulating unit in suchy a manner thatA they may be readily interchanged to bring relatively fresh unworn parts into the placeof those which are more or less worn, or else substitute an entirely new and yet relatively small section in place 0f the one which has broken down. rAccordingly, tothis end, it is proposed to grovide 'an insulating unit of the so-ca led divided insulating type whichincludes a plurality of relatively interchangeable parts,

dependently removable members or sections,- `which permit of formlngvarlous comb1na' tions lwith the relatively long section to obtain the desired range of interchangeability.

1 One practical and efficient combinationV of the, essential `elements 'above set forth yis shown in Figs. l and of'the drawings "wherein it will be observed that the insulation interposed between the upper side of the joint bar A and the underside of the rail head consists of a full length ber sec- .95 `oneof which is preferably of full length,

ioo

tion 1 adapted to contactvwith the under Side-@fthe rail .heedyfwhle Copewteg: therewith to .ill the .entire space vbetween the rail head and Vhead Vof the joint bar,

- are the separate relativelyf'short 'sectionsfofn Vinsulation Zand In this combination, all. of the advantages. ofthe so-called 1 divided Y insulation, including the lubricious charac- Y teristic manifestedby-the loosefc'ontacting of the superposed' sectionsof fiber, are preserved, withthe added advantage of being Y able .tol remove anyone of the parts which shows more signs `of Wear than the other i to Ya point Wherei't would be subject toY less Wearl By reason'of'this construction,- .a decided advantage inathe' up-jkee'p andmain- Ytenane Vof the head insulation of the joint lisobtained, since, as previously` indicated,

`the greatest, WearV on the insulation j takes place beneath the Vhead of the Vreceiving rail, and the; ,sentieri 0f' insulation' Which iS #thus.subjectedtothe .greatest wear maybe readily removed-When desiifed and shifted "tola pointwhere it will still .further per` `Y`the strains incident te service in its V.former location;

form-its functionb'ut not be subjectedfto Y To ,'llustrate .the finterchangeabilityV of the several partsfof the unit thereis lshown in Fig.Y eofthedrawngs, .an arrangement 'oftheinsulation plates, 'wherein the con-y tinuousfsection of insulation 1` may be located iin thefjoint so that it Will bear direotly against `'the head ofthe bar, While lthe separatenshorter sections 2 and V3 may besuperinposed thereon to; contact Ydirectly Withjthe under side/of lthefrail head. This reversal iof the relation tothe several parts jofthe unit has the. Obvious vadvaluwge Off :bringing: newY andY relatively I'eSl1j. partsY into Ynew locationslin'fthe reassembling `of the jo`int,ar'1d .under some circurn'stances inlay :constitute y a practlcalj and Vefficient inif` tial installationjff" combine?the-continuous sectionf of insulap'lace of one 'of theb'ersections in the corn- Y binations set forth iny Figs. :l to -3,.Whe reby thefflletallic section'Y may jbe read'ilyutivvi'th the rail `joint. l

`lized beneath the head off-oneV of thefr'rai'ls *l 'i "j .V-to. enable the linsulation. tete ipgedto Y best withstand thepounfling, effect ofY the vpassing Wheel loads. Obviously, thesectionsl-,a-:andr are susoeptiblefofvarious combinations, ,such as `that shown in F ig.- j

4l, Ywherein the full length sectionV of insuseotions of lmetal .and insulation contact (with the head of the joint bar, eras shown if inYF-ig. 5, lthe reverse ofthis 'combination' `may Vbe successfully utili-Zed,V

Frorn the foregoing, it Willbe apparent:

that one of the 'novel 4and distinctive fea- Atures of the present invention is vthe prof visio'nfof `a head insulating unityof theVV di-V v,vided insulationtype VWhicheconsists ofa plurality of rela-tively; interchangeable and.

fshiftable` parts, Which not only facilitate renewals and repairs but also materiallyji-n- :crease the life ofthe insulation, sincethe several j parts may be: Y shifted y,vvith relation 'Ito each other to bring relatively' fresh'parts thereofinto position YWhere `they Vyvill relieve' Y Y 'those parts which are Worn.

' Iclai'm: i

y 1. Ahead'unitfof insulate@ forYr'a1 j0iiasY consisting of a joint length plate, 'andY a pair v l of Y separate .shorter plates, interchangeable in position thereWith,the saidzplates being '9o' .2. Ahead u nitof insulation .for rail'jointsarranged in superimposed relation;V

consisting of a plurality of superimposed plates interchangeable in `Vposition` for e117.; Y

gagelnent either YWith the rail head or .the splicebar;

"head for the '.joint'bar, one of VsaidplatesY being substantially and apair'of half. length plates respectively "themnihead 'or joinen. heads In Ytestimony whereof Lhereunto' aixmy gphchead unltofins'u-lati'on for railjoints'A 1 Y hconsistinglof a plurality'ef 'Sperimposedr f c plates interchangeable 'in-position' for eng;

V Vglfgllflentirespectively',with eithertheraili, Y i100 coextensiye'grin 'length 1 consistingof a 'single 4fulllength jiberplate:` i Y t j Y' of insulation' and nietahfth'e said'- several g 1 Y Vplatesjbeing superlmposedand interchange-`V Aable in po'stenta vre.Spe@tively` engageether Y i" i 1164.1? signature inthe presence ofjtvvo jwitnesses.

Vlation contaotsdirectly withtheunde'r sldeV AYofi-the frai-l head,lv`vhile the relatively s'hortlj Y 

